Help shape the 2025 Lab Efficiency Report!
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2025 comes to an end. How about we look back at everything we learned this year?
We analysed hundreds of hours of lab work and performance data from 1LIMS clients.
Below, you’ll find the biggest change-drivers for next year and a short self-check for your own lab.
What we saw in 2025: Labs using 1LIMS removed 263,000+ hours of manual work.
What regulators and industry are signaling: Auditors are placing more focus on ISO 17025 and GMP expectations for consistent, reproducible, traceable workflows, which is hard to achieve with manual work.
What this means for 2026: Manual work will become a compliance and capacity risk.
What we saw in 2025: We completed end-to-end integrations with SGS, Eurofins, Tentamus, and Metrohm OMNIS. Also, more than 70% of integration projects were initiated by clients, not us – a clear sign the market is moving to integrated environments.
What regulators and industry are signaling: The EU GMP Annex 11 draft revision expands expectations for audit trails, electronic records, and system validation. This affects all labs that support GMP-regulated production, like food, pharma, and material testing.
What this means for 2026: Integration will no longer be “advanced.” Connected data flows will be the norm – for audits, production alignment, and faster testing-to-release cycles.
What we saw in 2025: Labs that moved from paper + Excel + instrument printouts to 1LIMS saw 32% faster sample throughput.
What regulators and industry are signaling: Data integrity rules (FDA, EMA, Annex 11 drafts) require complete audit trails, controlled electronic records, and strong metadata retention.
What this means for 2026: Fragmentation becomes unsustainable. We expect more labs to move toward one source of truth – not for convenience, but to avoid audit findings and quality risks.
What we saw in 2025: Many 1LIMS labs can already surface full traceability in under 2 minutes – an advantage in audits.
What regulators and industry are signaling: The EU GMP Annex 11 and Annex 22 drafts raise expectations for electronic traceability, “review-by-exception,” and validated digital records. These apply to all GMP-relevant environments, including labs that support production, stability testing, food quality control, and material testing.
What this means for 2026: Labs that can produce digital evidence instantly will move through audits faster and with fewer findings. Speed will become part of compliance.
What we saw in 2025: Technology alone isn’t enough. The best results came from projects where we also coached teams on digital mindset and new routines. This is why we doubled down on consulting, onboarding, and change management.
What regulators and industry are signaling: Digital transformation research (MIT Sloan, PwC) shows that culture and change management, not tools, determine success.
What this means for 2026: Labs will look for partners who guide transformation, not vendors who only install software.
Choose A, B, or C for each question, then check your forecast below.
Your lab already runs like modern digital ops. In 2026 you can expect predictive QC routines, faster decisions, and smoother audits. Connecting your last manual or Excel-based steps will get you to full end-to-end efficiency.
You have a solid digital base. Now it’s about connecting the missing pieces. In 2026 you can expect less routine work and more stable, predictable QC flows. With the right digital partner, the shift will feel fast and supportive
Seems like Excel still leads the way :( Most processes are manual, and traceability takes time. In 2026 you can expect more audit pressure and higher risk of hidden errors.
But this can also be your turning point: the perfect year to start automating, integrating systems, and reducing fragmentation. 👏
P.S. If you want to know how your lab measures up against others, take our quick LabCHECK to get a free Lab Digitalization Guide based on your answers.
This year showed what is possible when labs focus on purpose and digital culture.
We’re excited to share that 1LIMS clients reached:
Our biggest progress areas were:
In 2026, we’ll continue strengthening our consulting and onboarding to help teams adopt digital ways of working. We’ll also keep investing in R&D to bring more predictive insights and automation into daily lab routines.
A big thank-you to our partners for the trust and support throughout the year. We’re excited for what comes next, and we’re ready to welcome new partners and labs into the 1LIMS community in 2026!
P.S. Want to dive deeper? Check these out:
👉 EU GMP Annex 11 (Computerised Systems) Revision Draft: What the updated expectations mean
👉Webinar with Zweifel: How a Swiss food manufacturer digitalized QC
👉Does your lab really need a LIMS? A quick self-test
Happy & safe lab work – and Fröhliche Festtage!
❤️ Greetings,
1LIMS Team
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